Director Pets Witherspoon's 'Bunny'

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon

Zap2It.com

"Narc" director Joe Carnahan is negotiating to direct Reese Witherspoon in a remake of "Bunny Lake Is Missing."

Witherspoon has been loosely attached to the "Bunny Lake" remake since 2003, but according to Variety, it could become her next starring vehicle if deals go through with Carnahan and with Spyglass Entertainment to finance.

Columbia Pictures will distribute domestically.

Witherspoon, an Oscar winner earlier this year for "Walk the Line," will produce through her Type A banner.

Otto Preminger's 1965 thriller received an uncredited remake last year courtesy of the Jodie Foster hit "Flightplan." The original starred Carol Lynley as a young woman who claims that her daughter has gone missing, but can't provide any evidence that the girl ever existed. Is she crazy? Is she mourning? Or is her child the victim of some big conspiracy or other? Laurence Olivier played the initially skeptical police investigator.

Doug Wright ("Quills") is scripting the remake.

Carnahan would be able to slot "Bunny Lake" in next year before he directs George Clooney in "White Jazz" for Warner Independent. His next film, "Smoking Aces," opens in the spring.